The morning sun broke over the high gilded roofs of the Imperial Capital.
Normally, the capital was a city of hushed whispers and terrified obedience. Commoners kept their eyes glued to the cobblestones whenever imperial carriages rattled past. Merchants bowed low in the gutter, fearing the whips of the royal executioners.
Today, however, Central Jade Avenue was packed with millions of cheering people.
The grand thoroughfare stretched ten miles from the city’s southern gates straight to the Supreme Harmony Palace. Lining both sides of the avenue, a sea of capital citizens, shopkeepers, scholars, and tea stall owners stood shoulder-to-shoulder. They held steaming meat buns, pointing toward the southern gate with roaring laughter that echoed against the palace walls.
Above every major intersection, giant 8K spirit-screens hovered in the air, playing the high-definition replay of Crown Prince Ji Hao being swat with an iron shovel in Dragon-Spine Canyon on a continuous loop.
In the broadcast corner, Lord Wen Zhengming sat in full judicial robes, offering live commentary. “As we can see from the aerial footage, the Crown Prince attempted an unauthorized high-speed ambush without a municipal excavation permit. Fortunately, Taichu Road Maintenance Brigade intervened to ensure compliance with provincial paving standards.”
